Tuesday, August 28, 2007

The View From my Window

I used to live in Chico CA where one of thenotable landmarks is Bidwell Mansion, the homeof Annie and John Bidwell who donated thousandsof acres of land to the city, including the land for the University. They had a good life andtheir mansion is beautiful.

Here in Moscow is a similar landmark, right across the street from my house. The McConnellMansion.

The McConnells didn't have it asgood as the Bidwells. The HistoricLandmark sign in front of the mansion tellstheir tale:

"After the ... McConnell Mansion was completed in 1886, McConnell's wife and four children joined him in Moscow that Christmas Eve. Although McConnell became the state's leading Republican, serving as state senator and governor, and despite securing the University of Idaho for Moscow, he fell into obscurity after losing his money in the Depression of 1893.

Although McConnell's wife Louisa filed a homestead claim on the Mansion property, the family lost their home in 1898. "

Not a completely horrible story - things couldhave been worse I suppose - but it is disconcerting to read that they lost theirlovely house and fell into obscurity ... Theyhad four children.